The National Maritime Council (NMC) has protested what it described as China’s illegal activities and presence in Philippine waters.
According to NMC spokesperson Alexander Lopez, the issue is not limited to Pag-asa Island but also involves other parts of the West Philippine Sea.
Lopez said two Chinese maritime research vessels were monitored near Itbayat, Batanes in northern Luzon.
He added that another maritime surveillance research vessel was spotted about 171 nautical miles off Bolinao, Pangasinan, while another Chinese Marine Scientific Research (MSR) vessel — the Xiang Yang Hong 33 — was monitored about 140 nautical miles off Rizal, Palawan.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) had already spotted the Xiang Yang Hong 33 on May 16.
According to authorities, after entering the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), the vessel allegedly conducted illegal MSR activities in several parts of Philippine waters.
The NMC maintained that the activities were illegal and violated provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The council stressed that foreign states must first secure permission from the coastal state — in this case, the Philippines — before conducting research activities within its waters.
(FILE PHOTO)
